Ep 04: Growing Your Side Hustle: Planning, Pivoting, and Persisting with Jason Santamaria

Today we are joined by Jason Santamaria, the Founder and President of two beverage companies: Second Self Beer Company and Cirrus Beverages. Jason has managed to balance his startup journey with his full-time Sales Consultant job at IBM, and in this episode, he shares his journey, exploring the challenges of balancing a startup with a career and navigating the constant change inherent in consumer businesses.

Listen in to learn the importance of flexibility in building a successful business, the necessity of rolling with the punches, and why the ability to maintain focus while keeping the big picture in mind is crucial. Jason also shares valuable advice for those starting a business, including finding good mentors, raising more money than expected, and prioritizing the people who are most supportive of the venture. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to start and grow a business in a highly competitive and dynamic industry—while also managing a full-time job.

What You’ll Learn:

• What Jason is hoping for the future of his beverage companies.
• The importance of being flexible when building a business.
• Why it is essential to learn to roll with the punches as they come in business.
• How much money an entrepreneur should put into their own business.
• Lessons learned while owning a business throughout the pandemic.
• How to find the balance between stubbornness and flexibility.

Ideas Worth Sharing:

• “Being able to keep the big picture in mind and focus at the same time is very hard, but it is very important for small business owners.” – Jason Santamaria
• “Your values and mission statement should drive the rest of your company.” – Jason Santamaria
• “Raise a lot more money than you think you will need to start your business. Find good mentors that have experience in the industry that you’re trying to get into.” – Jason Santamaria

Resources:

• Jason Santamaria: LinkedIn
• Cannon Carr: LinkedIn
• CornerCap